from the PHHA/Pocono

Wilkes-Barre, PA — Ghosts are supposed to be the spirits of those who have transitioned from one reality to another. Which made the trainer of the winner of Tuesday’s (Oct. 31) $10,000 Grey Ghost and Poltergeist Pace at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono very appropriate, for the conditioner of the victorious Stirling Escort is Doug Hamilton, for whom Pocono had a retirement party at the “end” of his career last week.

Curtis Salonick photo

Matt Kakaley drove Stirling Escort to a 1:52.3 victory.

But Hamilton chose to stay at the barn another week, and in his last official night of training before retirement, Hamilton put a harness on a racehorse for the last time and sent out the Roll With Joe gray gelding Stirling Escort, who went a tough leave-then-first-over route, yet still succeeded in catching the event’s defending champion, White Rolls, by three-quarters of a length in 1:52.3. Matt Kakaley handled the sulky duties for Sandbur Farms, Valarie Sutton, and Joseph Hemingway.

In a $16,000 co-feature for younger distaffs, driver Jim Marohn Jr. and trainer Rob Harmon combined with the Yankee Cruiser sophomore Caroline Hanover to get home first in 1:54.3 for Blue Chip Bloodstock Inc.

In the $14,000 event for more seasoned females, the American Ideal mare Gweneeee J actually got a half-drop in company off a win at Harrah’s Philadelphia last time, and the newest member of the $250,000 club took advantage of the class relief to win in 1:51.3 for driver Andrew McCarthy, trainer Ross Croghan, and the Let It Ride Stables Inc.